Update from Stacey

Several weeks ago, I listened to a Freakonomics podcast episode on sludge, and I continue to think about how that concept applies to ASR. Sludge is essentially what makes a process more challenging, slow, or even inscrutable to users. For example, think about a gym membership that you cannot cancel unless you find the hidden web form or make an uncomfortable phone call, or consider going to the DMV and not being able to discern exactly what paperwork you must complete. Sludge often uses friction to dissuade someone from making the decision that is best for them.

In a unit like ASR, we thrive on process because it helps us serve the needs of our very large student body and makes work more predictable. The risk, of course, is that we end up with sludge—stuff our students don’t understand, or stuff that doesn’t bring us value but it’s been in the process so long we don’t see it anymore. This is bad for all of us, but especially for students who are new to higher education. Identifying and getting rid of sludge can make things better for our first generation students, folks with disabilities, and the University community broadly. I invite you to start looking at your work with a detective’s eye. Where do we have sludge? How can we make it better? I’m curious to hear your ideas!